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Get
verb ( getting ; past got |gät|; past part. got or gotten |ˈgätn|)1 [ trans. ] come to have or hold (something); receive : I got the impression that she wasn't happy.•experience, suffer, or be afflicted with (something bad): : I got asudden pain in my left eye.•receive as a punishment or penalty : I'll get the sack if things go wrong.•contract (a disease or ailment) : I might be getting the flu.•receive (a communication) : I got a letter from my fiancé.2 [ trans. ] succeed in attaining, achieving, or experiencing; obtain : I need all the sleep I can get.•move in order to pick up or bring (something); fetch : get another chairtwo objs. : I'll get you a drink.•[ trans. ] tend to meet with or find in a specified place or situation :it was nothing like the winters we get in Florida.•travel by or catch (a bus, train, or other form of transport) : I'll get a taxi and be home in an hour.•obtain (a figure or answer) as a result of calculation.•respond to a ring of (a telephone or doorbell) or the knock on (a door) : I'll get it!•imperative informal said as an invitation to notice or look at someone, esp. to criticize or ridicule them : get her!3 [ intrans. ] enter or reach a specified state or condition; become : he got very worried | it's getting late | past part. you'll get used to it.•auxiliary v. used with a past participle to form the passive mood : the cat got groomed.•[ trans. ] cause to be treated in a specified way : get the form signed by a doctor.•[ trans. ] induce or prevail upon (someone) to do something : Sophie got Beth to make a fire.•[ intrans. ] have the opportunity to do : he got to try out a few of these new cars.•[ intrans. ] begin to be or do something, esp. gradually or by chance : we got talking one evening.4 [ intrans. ] come, go, or make progress eventually or with some difficulty : I got to the airport | they weren't going to get anywhere.•[ intrans. ] move or come into a specified position, situation, or state : she got into the car.•[ trans. ] succeed in making (someone or something) come, go, or make progress : my honesty often gets me into trouble.•[ intrans. ] informal reach a specified point or stage : it's getting so I can't even think.•in imperative informal go away.5 ( have got) see have .6 [ trans. ] catch or apprehend (someone) : the police have got him.•strike or wound (someone) with a blow or missile : you got me in the eye!•informal punish, injure, or kill (someone), esp. as retribution : I'll get you for this!•( get it) informal be punished, injured, or killed : wait until Dad comes home, then you'll get it!•( get mine, his, etc.) informal be killed or appropriately punished or rewarded : I'll get mine, you get yours, we'll all get wealthy.•informal annoy or amuse (someone) greatly : cleaning the same things all the time, that's what gets me.•informal baffle (someone) : "What's a ‘flowery boundary tree’?” "You got me.”7 [ trans. ] informal understand (an argument or the person making it) :What do you mean? I don't get it.8 [ trans. ] archaic acquire (knowledge) by study; learn : knowledge which is gotten at school.noun1 Tennis a successful return of a difficult ball.2 dated an animal's offspring : he passes this on to his get.3 Brit., informal dialect a person whom the speaker dislikes or despises.PHRASES( as) —— as all get out informal to a great or extreme extent : he wasstubborn as all get out.be out to get someone be determined to punish or harm someone, esp. in retaliation : he thinks the media are out to get him.get in there informal take positive action to achieve one's aim (often said as an exhortation) : you get in there, son, and you work.get it on informal have sexual intercourse.get it up vulgar slang (of a man) achieve an erection.get-rich-quick derogatory designed or concerned to make a lot of money fast : another one of your get-rich-quick schemes.get-up-and-go informal energy, enthusiasm, and initiative.PHRASAL VERBSget something across manage to communicate an idea clearly.get ahead become successful in one's life or career : how to get ahead in advertising.get along 1 have a harmonious or friendly relationship : they seem to get along pretty well. 2 manage to live or survive : don't worry, we'll get along without you.get around 1 coax or persuade (someone) to do or allow something that they initially do not want to. 2 deal successfully with (a problem). •evade (a regulation or restriction) without contravening it : the company changed its name to get around the law.get around to (or chiefly Brit. round to) deal with (a task) in due course: I didn't get around to putting all the photos in frames.get at 1 reach or gain access to (something) : it's difficult to get at the screws. •bribe or unfairly influence (someone) : he had been got at by government officials. 2 informal imply (something) : I can see what you're getting at.get away escape : Stevie was caught, but the rest of us got away | he was very lucky to get away with his life. •leave one's home or work for a time of rest or recreation; go on a vacation : it will be nice to get away.get away with escape blame, punishment, or undesirable consequences for (an act that is wrong or mistaken) : you'll never get away with this.get back at take revenge on (someone) : I wanted to get back at them for what they did.get back to contact (someone) later to give a reply or return a message: I'll find out and get back to you.get by manage with difficulty to live or accomplish something : he had just enough money to get by.get down informal enjoy oneself by being uninhibited, esp. with friends in a social setting : get down and party!get someone down depress or demoralize someone.get something down 1 write something down. 2 swallow food or drink, esp. with difficulty.get down to begin to do or give serious attention to : let's get down to business.get in 1 (of a train, aircraft, or other transport) arrive at its destination :the train got in late. •(of a person) arrive at one's destination : what time did you get in? 2 (of a political party or candidate) be elected.get in on become involved in (a profitable or exciting activity).get into (of a feeling) affect, influence, or take control of (someone) : I don't know what's got into him.get in with become friendly with (someone), esp. in order to gain an advantage : I hope he doesn't get in with the wrong crowd.get off 1 informal escape a punishment; be acquitted : she got off lightly |you'll get off with a warning. 2 vulgar slang have an orgasm.get off on informal be excited or aroused by (something) : he was obviously getting off on the adrenaline of performing before the crowd.get on 1 perform or make progress in a specified way : how are you getting on? •continue doing something, esp. after an interruption : I've got to get on with this job. 2 chiefly Brit. another way of saying get along (sense 1).3 ( be getting on) informal be old or comparatively old : we are both getting on a bit.get on to chiefly Brit. make contact with (someone) about a particular topic.get out 1 (of something previously secret) become known : news got out that we were coming. 2 (also get out of here) informal imperative used to express disbelief : get out, you're a liar. •in imperative informal go away; leave.get something out succeed in uttering, publishing, or releasing something : we need to get this report out by Friday.get out of contrive to avoid or escape (a duty or responsibility) : they wanted to get out of paying.get something out of achieve benefit from (an undertaking or exercise) : we never got any money out of it.get over 1 recover from (an ailment or an upsetting or startling experience) : the trip will help him get over Sal's death. 2 overcome (a difficulty).get something over 1 manage to communicate an idea or theory : the company is keen to get the idea over. 2 complete an unpleasant or tedious but necessary task promptly : Come on, let's get it over with.get through 1 (also get someone through) pass or assist someone in passing (a difficult or testing experience or period) : I need these lessons to get me through my exam. •(also get something through) (with reference to a piece of legislation) become or cause to become law. 2 make contact by telephone : after an hour of busy signals, I finally got through. •succeed in communicating with someone in a meaningful way : I just don't think anyone can get through to these kids.get to 1 informal annoy or upset (someone) by persistent action : he started crying—we were getting to him. 2 another way of saying get around toabove.get together gather or assemble socially or to cooperate.get up 1 (also get someone up) rise or cause to rise from bed after sleeping. 2 (of wind or the sea) become strong or agitated.get something up 1 prepare or organize a project or piece of work :we used to get up little plays. 2 enhance or refine one's knowledge of a subject.DERIVATIVESgettable adjectiveORIGIN Middle English : from Old Norse geta ‘obtain, beget, guess’; related to Old English gietan (in begietan beget, forgietan forget ), from an Indo-European root shared by Latin praeda ‘booty, prey,’praehendere ‘get hold of, seize,’and Greek khandanein ‘hold, contain, be able.’USAGE The verb get is in the top five of the most common verbs in the English language. Because of get ’s commonness, some writers think it unfit for formal writing. This may be so in some senses and contexts, where : receive or : understand or even : murder would be more exact, but many writers known for their precision and elegance of style use getwith ease and confidence: : There’s no getting around it (Jacques Barzun); : Mr. Head began to get out his tickets (Flannery O’Connor); : She would get home just in time (James Baldwin); : They got into automobileswhich bore them out to Long Island (F. Scott Fitzgerald). For a discussion ofgot and gotten, see usage at gotten .